EXCLUSIVE: Eric Nam on 11-Year Musical Journey: A Reflection on Efforts and Intentions: “That process has value to me”

For Eric Nam, the hardest part of touring is to stay healthy. The Korean-American singer-songwriter has been on House on a Hill world tour for almost a year with an ambitious 67 dates on his list. He exclusively tells Bollywood Hungama, “The hardest thing about touring for me isn't even the travel; it's staying healthy. That is my biggest stressor because you're in a different hotel every day. Like, sometimes the AC works, sometimes it's too cold, sometimes it's too hot and so I have to like sleep with a mask on just to make sure that I'm not catching a cold or that and there's jetlag, and all these different things that are always changing.”

 

EXCLUSIVE: Eric Nam on 11-Year Musical Journey: A Reflection on Efforts and Intentions: “That process has value to me”

 

Kicking off in North America, Eric Nam commenced his House on a Hill world tour in September, embarking on a 39-date journey across the US and Canada until mid-November. The tour encompassed over 20 states, with a notable four-show stint in Canada. This was followed by a Latin American expedition, in five countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. This was followed by Asia dates including India, marking his debut performance in Mumbai at the second edition of Lollapalooza India 2024. “So when I'm not on tour, if I get sick, whatever, I just get to catch a cold and I'll just get through it. But I am on tour if I can't sing, then we have to cancel the show. All these people, all the fans who have saved money and made travel arrangements, I have to let them know and that breaks my heart. So, the idea and the ideal situation is don't get sick. Do not get sick. It's hard. And I've come to terms with the fact that to do that, you just have to be selfish. And you have to be okay with that.”

 

Watch the full interview with Bollywood Hungama where Eric Nam talks about his album, touring, 11 years in the industry and meeting Indian fans.

 

On a sunny Friday afternoon, January 26, Eric Nam radiated infectious joy as he was enjoying the Mumbai vibe for the first time. Clad in a patterned jacket paired with black trousers with embroidery towards the hem, he completed his ensemble with pointed boots, exuding both style and exuberance. Amidst a whirlwind of media interviews, Eric revelled in the fun conversations, and talked about indulging in the flavours of authentic Indian cuisine and more.

 

As Bollywood Hungama mentioned about existential crisis and the tonality of the 2023 album House On A Hill, Nam admitted that one doesn’t delve into an album thinking themes. It is a natural progression. “I don't think I really ever go into an album mode saying this is what it's going to be. It's always like, ‘let's try to write songs the best we can and then try to find it the through line, the thing that's kind of connecting it all,” he told Bollywood Hungama. “For House On A Hill, anytime I walk into a songwriting session, it's me maybe one or two other songwriters and a producer and we just catch up like how's life? What have you been up to what's on your mind lately? The theme that just kept coming back to me over and over through all the songwriting sessions was his existential crisis. I had just come off of tour the last one and I am doing all these things. I'm touring the world I'm shooting movies, I have a start-up; I have all these crazy things and everything is going relatively well. Then you have moments like is this life? Is this what everything is? And if so, am I happy? And if not, what's going to make me happy?” Eric adds.

 

He continues, “These types of questions kept coming up not only for me but everybody in the room. The songwriters are the same way. They spend every single day writing songs hoping that they get one hit. One massive hit and if that had happened, for some of them it [feels] like ‘Okay, I did it, but I have to do it again!’ It was those conversations where we can get exhausted, but also into our heads about like, why are we living? And why do we do what we do. And there were those themes that kind of kept pulling together, and ultimately kind of made House On A Hill.”

 

Along with his music career, Eric Nam hosts Daebak Show, a podcast on Dive Studios founded by Brian Nam along with Eric and Eddie Nam, which is a multi-platform media company focused on the intersection of K-pop and authentic storytelling. On his podcast with Chinese singer-songwriter Jackson Wang, he spoke about touring, the implications of staying away from home, and loneliness. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Eric says that touring can be draining and lonely but something that’s okay.

 

“I'm an introverted person. On-screen and all that kind of stuff, I'm pretty extroverted, I'm always hosting and always emceeing. I'm always asking questions, but I think naturally, if you leave me to my own devices, I'll probably be alone somewhere,” he told Bollywood Hungama. “And that's because, for me as a creative, being alone with my thoughts is where I get all of my ideas. I get ideas for songs, I get ideas for TV shows, movies and scripts and all these what I want to do. It's this job that takes you to extremes; you're on one extreme of being with 1000s of people or being in a room full of people who always want to talk to you and ask you questions and hang out and that's fine. But then that's also very, especially for a more introverted person like an incredibly draining process. So, when I am alone, I actually love it. It doesn't mean that I don't get lonely. But if I do get lonely, I have friends and family that I'll you know, give them a call or video chat or whatever, that kind of thing. But I've also come to a point where I'm like [it’s okay].”

 

He recalls his father’s saying, “I remember my dad used to tell me when I was a kid, and I never understood what he meant. He was like, ‘You need to learn to be lonely. And you have to be okay with not being with people.’ When I was younger, he was like, ‘You're too social. He's going to go out all the time.’ And he was like, ‘You have to be okay with that’. Now, as an adult, I understand what he meant of like being alone with my thoughts and myself. And so, it is extremes, there's 1000s of people, and then there's just completely by myself. But I find value in both of those situations. So that's kind of how I think about it.”

 

 

 

Eric Nam made his debut as a singer in 2013 with the digital single ‘Heaven's Door’. Since then, he has released various singles and albums, showcasing his versatility as an artist. His music spans different genres, including pop, R&B, and ballads. In the last 11 years, he has done it all. He is a well-known television host and now has dived into movies. Reflecting on his over-a-decade-long journey and how those moments have shaped his music and career, he said, “I think a few things like nothing is ever as it seems and nothing makes sense. It is all unpredictable. That is just the way entertainment goes. The hardest thing to learn and come to terms with is you could spend years putting together an album or a film or a TV show and you could have the best of intentions and put your hardest work into it and put it out, it can just completely flop or it can be received the wrong way and it can just not work out; it can be devastating to a creator or an artist in multiple ways.”

 

He added, “I think learning that very quickly made me realize, ‘Hey, you just have to push through anything that's difficult or hard or whatever you give it your best effort. But if it doesn't connect, it's fine. You do you and move on.’ And for me, the way that I move on with it is like, I have to think of it as like I gave my best effort with my best intention. It, as a process has, meaning to me, that process has value to me.”

 

ALSO READ: Armaan Malik relives ‘Echo’ memories with Eric Nam after Lollapalooza India 2024; Korean-American singer recites Shah Rukh Khan’s dialogue: “Eric naam toh suna hoga”

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